Bedstead



NAPETI'ERS. FHOTO-LWHOGRAPIIER. WASHINGTON. D C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WM. WHITE, OF PORTSMOUTH, VIRGINIA.

BEDSTEAD.

Specicaton of Letters Patent No. 13,607, dated September 25, 1855.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, WILLIAM WHITE, of Portsmouth, in the county of Norfolk and State of Virginia, have invented a new and Improved Bedstead; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, Figure l being a plan of a bedstead constructed with my improvements; Fig. 2, a vertical section in the plane Fig. l; Fig. 3, a vertical section in the plane y y, Fig. l; Fig. 4L, a similar view showing certain parts in a differentposition.

Like letters designate corresponding parts in al1 the figures.

The posts A, A, A, A, and rails B, B, and C, O, may be constructed in the usual manner, the latter being connected with the former by the ordinary tenons and mortises, or any other equivalent mode. In a central position, in the space inclosed by the rails, is then placed a parallelogram D, which is composed essenitally of four bars a, a, a, a, jointed together, at their intersections, by pivots b, b, b, b, and terminating in projecting ends c, c, &c., substantially as represented in Fig. l. These bars may be of any suitable material, generally of flat strips of metal; and of convenient length, say about 14 inches. They are to freely turn on their pivots b, b, b, b, so that they may be shut or opened, and their angles varied at pleasure. Into four diagonally opposite ends c, c, c, c, of these bars, are hooked, or hinged, four rods g, g, g, g, or their equivalents, in pairs, as shown in Fig. 1. Each pair of these rods is hooked, or hinged, into one end of a plate L, in the other end of which plate is a slot c. These plates may be inserted through hori- Zontal slots in the end rail as shown at the head of the bedstead in Fig. l, and in Fig. 2, or through a slot in a staple m, itself securely attached to the rail as seen at the foot of the bedstead in Fig. l. In the four remaining ends c, c, c, c, of the bars, are hooked or hinged, four other rods, cl, cl, (Z, (Z, or their equivalents the other ends of which are provided with loops, or holes, into which are inserted four hooks f, f, f, f, secured respectively to the four inner angles of the posts. Keys z', c', are then driven down into the slots e, e, of the plates 7L, lz., either o utl side of the end rails ofthe bedstead as shown at the head thereof, in Fig. l, and in Fig. 2, or within staples m, (Fig. 1,) when such are employed, or down through the middle of the said rails, as may be most convenient. The effect of these keys, or wedges, is obviously to lengthen that diagonal of the parallogram situated in the line between them, and to shorten the other diagonal thereof, the combined action of which movement will draw the opposite rails and opposite posts of the bedstead toward each other, or in other words, they will draw all parts of the bedstead toward the center, with a powerful and equalized force in every direction, thus forming an exceeding simple and effective bedstead fastener; and the bedstead can be taken apart in a few seconds, all that is required, being to knock out the two wedges, z', i, and slipping the four rods d, cl, CZ, d, from their hooks f, f, f, The bedstead is also put up in a very short time. The point, at which the rods CZ, cl, CZ, d, and g, g, g, g, are attached to the bedstead may be varied in many ways, without changing the principle on which they act. Nor is the wedge, or key z', an essential method of tightening screws or other mechanical devices may be employed, and the number used may be varied at pleasure. Where the wedges press against the rails of the bedstead, a metallic plate Z, or something equivalent should be attached to the rails to protect them from wearing, as seen in Figs. 1, and 2. This fastening will also make a good support for the bed, by the addition of some simple appendage to divide the interstices between the rods and parallelogram into smaller meshes, or spaces. A convenient arrangement for this purpose is to secure a series of hooks p, p, &c., at proper distances apart, to the inner sides of the several rails as represented; and then to interlace a cord between said hooks and the parallelogram, as indicated by dotted lines a, in Fig. l. Another, superior device is to attach a sufficient number of wires, rods, or cords to the bars of the parallelogram and provide the other ends thereof with loops, or holes, which are severally to receive the said hooks, or slats may eX- tend across from side to side and be secured to opposite hooks. In all these instances, the whole fixtures can in a few moments be throWn off the hooks, so that they oier no Secured thereto and tightened, substantially obstacle to speedily taking the bedstead in the manner and for the purposes herein 10 apart or putting it together. set forth.

Vhat I claim as my invention and desire 5 to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The jointed parallogram of bars, provided Witnesses: With rods, or their eopuivalents7 which extend J. S. BROWN, to the bedstead at several points, and are CLEMT. S. STULL.

W. WHITE. 

